Remember Me This Way

13 - "Let's Be Us Again"

Aric

🎶Here I stand with everything to lose
All I know is I dont wanna ever see the end
Baby please, I'm reachin out for you
Won't you open up your heart and let me come back in
Lets be us again
Us again🎶

I heard the song in the radio played, waking me up to another day. Then there was a knock on my door. Sumilip si Mama at minulat ko ng dahan dahan ang mata ko. She was standing by the door not saying anything until a minute has passed.

"Nak...may bisita ka."

I was in my usual jersey shorts and plain white shirt, inayos ko lang ang gulo gulo kong buhok mula sa pagkakahiga at bumaba na.

Naabutan ko si Mama na nagdala ng juice at banana cake na gawa niya sa mga bisita. There was one lady who I think is slightly older than my mother and the guy with him is Lue, Hya's cousin.

Tinanguan ko siya agad pagkakita niya sa akin na pababa ng hagdan. "Bro." bati pa niya at nakipag handshake.

"O Lue, kamusta? Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"Aric, this is my mom Mildred Bernardo Davis, kapatid siya ni Tito Greg. Papa ni Hya." pagpapakilala niya sa babae niyang kasama.

"Hello po Tita. Good morning po. I'm Aric John po..." nagaalangan akong magpakilala bilang boyfriend ng pamangkin niya.

"Boyfriend po ni Hya Mommy." si Lue na ang nagtuloy.

"I know, I've heard so much about you." inisip ko baka si Lue ang nagkwento dahil ang alam ko matag na hindi naguusap si Hya at ang Tita niya. She must be the one from California. Halata din naman sa tono at itsura niya na taga ibang bansa siya. "Bukambibig ka ng pamangkin ko mula ng makapagusap kame, actually doon ako sa condo niyo ngayon nag sstay. I was surprised when she offered me to stay with her. You probably know we're not in speaking terms. Si Hya kasi, she tends to distance her self from people who really cares about her. Takot siyang maattach sa isang tao that's why when I learned about you akala ko nabago mo na siya...pero heto, she's at it again. Sinosolo ang problema kahit may gusto naman dumamay sa kanya." tuloy tuloy lang ang pagsasalita niya hanggang sa makaupo kame at kaharap ang isa't isa.

"Aric, don't give up on Hya. She needs you now more than ever." hinawakan niya ang kamay kong nakasiklop.

"Hindi ko naman po siya pababayaan eh. Kahit na hindi kame magkasama ngayon, I see to it that she eats and she's healthy. Lalo na para sa baby." I smiled.

"No Aric, you need to be with her. Physically. Not only for the baby but for Hya too. She won't make it alone. Her condition is not that simple." sabi ulit ni Tita Mildred.

"Condition?" natigilan ako, nagtaka at naguluhan bigla. Is her pregnancy a condition?

"I knew she didn't tell you, dahil kung alam mo you wouldn't be here." her cousin Lue said. He was looking at me with so much concern.

"Teka lang. I'm seriously going to freak out right now...what condition? What has Hya hasn't told me? Ano pa ang kailangan kong malaman?" it was obvious in my voice that I am about to freak out and I needed for them to tell me dahil konting konti na lang tatayo na ako para puntahan si Hya. Thinking that Hya is going through something and I am not with her hurts like hell.

"I also just found out yesterday from my friend, Hya's Neuro."

"Lue, ano nga yon? Sabihin mo na." the anxiety is killing me. Pakiramdam ko unti unti nanghihina ang mga tuhod ko kahit nakaupo na ako.

"She's sick Aric. May Alzheimer's siya." I saw how Tita Mildred cried the moment Lue said it. Napatakip naman si Mama ng bibig at ako naiwan na nanigas sa kinauupuan ko.